FIG. 1A illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a service provider network 100, wherein a service provider 110 provides selected information or services to each of a plurality of home networks 150 through at least one communication path represented as networks 130 and 140. For example, the service provider 110 may provide selective services such as cable television, voice-over-IP (VoIP), video-on-demand (VoD), internet protocol television (IPTV) or internet access to each of the home networks. Providing services over either public or private networks is well-known in the art and need not be discussed in detail herein.
FIG. 1B illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary connection from the service provider network 100 to a conventional home network 150. In this exemplary connection, the network is composed of router(s) 170 that may be connected via electrical (not shown) or optical communication links 180 (Optical Network Terminal/Optical Line Terminal) to a point prior to entry to the home network 150. The home network 150 includes a network termination unit 190 that is used to provide compatibility of the elements or components of the home network 150 to the service provider network 100.
Home network 150 includes elements such as a DSL modem 151, broadband router(s) 152, set top boxes 153 and televisions 154 connected to an associated set-top box 153. The home network may further include a digital network that enables the connection of a VoIP phone 155 and internet access via PC 156. The digital network may also include an access point (not shown) that allows access to a wireless network 157 that further enables remote wireless (Wii, WiFi, Bluetooth) devices to be connected to the service provider network.
With the dynamic expansion of the services provided to home-based subscribers or users and the ability of the home-based user to dynamically change the configuration of the home network 150, the need for managing the network is increasingly more important both to the service provider 110 and the user. Failures in the network or reduced Quality of Service (Qos) in the reception of information significantly alters the user's experience in using the network while quickly determining the cause of failure or poor QoS is important to the service provider in maintaining a high QoS.
Hence, there is a need in the industry for a method and apparatus for analyzing and modeling home networks to determine causes of failures or reduced QoS in home networks and the impacts of such failures.